The secret of the earth pyramids

Earth pyramids - the legend
Many years ago, the priest of Lengmoos had to celebrate a holy mass in Mittelberg. As it was a rainy autumn day, it would get dark early. At that time witches still lived on the Ritten. They loved to meet on such rainy days and dance together.

When the priest went at home, it was already dark night. As he was travelling alone, he hurried to return to Lengmoos. Just as he was crossing the Finsterbach, the witches notice him. Since he did not see them, it was easy for the witches to scare him. They started singing on both sides of the path and flew around the priest on their brooms. He shuddered but made no effort to turn back.

When he pulled his rosary out of his pocket and started to pray the Hail Mary, the witches became angry. They could not believe that the man could conquer his fear in faith. They wanted to push him into the valley. The pillars were to be a lesson to the other witches. From that day on, no one had to be afraid of them.


Earth pyramids - miracles of nature
The substrate must be clay-rich and fine-grained, and must also contain relatively large stones. The moraine deposits found in areas where the terrain is steeply inclined and protected from wind, which are already partially consolidated, offer especially favorable conditions. The rainwater cuts ever deeper grooves into the propensity. During the dry phases, the material hardens. A larger stone exposed by this washing out forms a roof for the material underneath.

Over the course of several millennia a cone-shaped mound - an earth pyramid - is formed. At a certain point, the covering stone becomes unbalanced and falls to the ground. This marks the beginning of the slow demise of the earth pyramid. Left exposed to the rain, it becomes thinner and smaller until it finally disappears completely - while new pyramids are formed in the terrain behind it.

What do you think, are the earth pyramids petrified witches or a miracle of nature?